Our
VisionFamilies
and individuals of all ages thrive in North Carolina.
From early childhood well past retirement, our
citizens are mentally and physically fit, with
no significant differences in health across racial,
ethnic, or geographic lines. Our most vulnerable
citizens — children and the elderly — are
surrounded by a supportive family and community.

Poverty
puts people at risk of nearly every negative factor we can
measure, including poor health, failure in school, child abuse
and neglect, inadequate housing, and crime. All of these factors
create a drain on the rest of the community as well. Unless
we tackle this core problem, we will forever be addressing
its consequences.

If
our citizens are to be healthy and if we're to lower the
cost of health care, increase our productive capacity, and
enjoy life to its fullest, we should first look at how we
live. In North Carolina, the answer is none too well. We
see a high prevalence of lifestyle-related ailments, such
as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Lack of access
to health care carries a high price tag. People avoid or are
unable to obtain preventative services. Delays in treatment result
in later diagnoses when illnesses are more expensive to treat.
Those high costs in turn get passed along to the public and private
individuals and companies with the ability to pay.

Sustain
stable & nurturing families

Family
stability
Child neglect
Domestic abuse

No
matter how young or old, if we're to thrive -- physically,
mentally, emotionally -- we need to feel safe and nurtured
in our own homes. Growing children and teens need a secure
home base from which to explore the world. Adults, too, need
the support that friends and family provide.